In the spring of 1999, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) announced the award of a 5 year, $3.5 million grant to the MITE Research Network (MITE-RN) under its Research Networks Program. MITE-RN is a network of Canadian universities, government departments and industries formed to jointly address research gaps in our understanding of the sources, pathways, fates and effects of metals in the environment. The MITE initiative is aimed at significantly increasing our understanding of the impacts metals have on the environment, and it will guide the development of effective and science-based policies and regulations to protect the environment. The combined funding for MITE-RN from MAC, NSERC and Ontario Power Generation Company (OPG), as well as in-kind contributions from Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Geological Survey of Canada, bring the value of the initial five year grant to just over $ 7 million. Recently, OPG has re-affirmed its commitment to the MITE-RN by extending its initial 2-year, $100,000/year support for a further three years. In addition, the MITE-RN was also very pleased to welcome the International Lead Zinc Research Organization (ILZRO), the International Copper Association (ICA) and the Nickel Producers Environmental Research Association (NiPERA), who have committed $22,000 to the Network this year, and hope to be able to do the same in subsequent years as well. All corporate and government sponsors are represented on the Network's Science Steering Committee, which meets regularly throughout the year to monitor progress and ensure the continuing relevance of the Network's research priorities.

The MITE-RN recently concluded its first, and very successful annual research symposium. The Symposium included presentations from the collaborating investigators and students participating in the Network, as well as a lively and well-attended poster session in which MITE-RN investigators had an opportunity to present and discuss some of their initial results for the first year of the Network studies. Some of the initial work presented included preliminary results from a study to determine the chemical and physical evolution of aerosol particles in plumes, as well as promising results on new methods to better understand the relative contributions of geogenic and anthropogenic sources of metals and to integrate the concept of metal speciation into the risk assessment process. Symposium participants also heard of the excellent cooperation between Network scientists and industry in the planning and conduct of several studies. The Symposium attracted ninety participants including research scientists, industry representatives and government regulatory officials, many of whom were unattached to the Network. This success in attracting new participants fits in with the Network's goal of information exchange among the broadest possible sector of users of the data generated by the Network.

The Symposium also included the inaugural session of the Expert Advisory Panel, the external review panel, that annually evaluates the progress and research plans of Network scientists, as well as meetings of the Science Steering Committee and the Network Board of Directors. The Board had the opportunity to review the first MITE-RN progress report to NSERC in which the granting council applauded the Network's "excellent communications strategy with the web site, the newsletter and annual symposium"; the MITE-RN issued two newsletters in the last fiscal year with a current mailing list that includes one thousand recipients.

The MITE-RN Secretariat is based at the Canadian Network of Toxicology Centres at the University of Guelph, and draws on the expertise of 12 universities: Dalhousie, Institut national de la Recherche scientifique (UQ-INRS), Carleton, Guelph, McGill, McMaster, , Université de Montréal, Université du Québec à Montréal, St. Mary's, Toronto, Western, and Waterloo. Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada are the lead government participants.

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